Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Lays Eggs on Southern California Beach for First Time on U.S. West Coast
For the first time ever, an Olive Ridley sea turtle has been recorded nesting and laying eggs on a U.S. West Coast beach. The historic event occurred near Seal Beach in Orange County on September 16, according to NOAA Fisheries West Coast. Just days later, another sea turtle was observed near the Huntington Beach Pier, though it is unclear if it was the same individual. Olive Ridley sea turtles are typically found in tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans, with major nesting populations in Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. This unprecedented nesting event in Southern California is attributed to unusually warm ocean waters, partly fueled by a strengthening El Niño. These warm waters have also led to increased sightings of other warm-water marine animals, such as hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, and orcas, off the coast of Southern California.
